But just in case you haven’t heard the news, here it is in a nutshell: Google rolled out a pretty significant change to its search algorithm that could have a substantial impact on your website’s traffic. Announced back in February 2015, the new algorithm boosts the rankings of those webpages Google has deemed are “mobile-friendly” in mobile search results worldwide. If your site doesn’t measure up, you could see your webpages buried in Google’s search results in favor of pages meeting these new mobile-friendly requirements. In turn, this could cause your web traffic volumes – and maybe your ad revenues – to take a nosedive.

Sounds pretty grim, right? Well, not to worry (much).

Yes, this is a big change from the Google search algorithm we all know (but don’t always love). However, here’s why you shouldn’t panic: meeting Google’s new mobile-friendly requirements isn’t as challenging as you’d suspect. And even then, the scope of this update is limited only to those Google searches performed on mobile devices – desktops and tablets won’t be affected.

Furthermore, this is a page-level rather than site-level change, meaning that even if you have one, two, or 10 pages that don’t meet Google’s mobile-friendly threshold, page rankings for your entire website won’t necessarily tank. And if all of that isn’t enough to soothe your (or your webmaster’s) jangled nerves, consider this quote from Google’s FAQ:

“The intent of the search query is still a very strong signal – so even if a page with high quality content is not mobile-friendly, it could still rank high if it has great content for the query.”

There you have it. It’s definitely a significant enough change that you’ll want to address it as quickly as possible, but not so pressing that your web team needs to pull an all-nighter to fix it (oh and by the way, it’s going to take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks for the update to be fully implemented).

Why the big change? And why now? Believe it or not, Google is trying to help you.

According to comScore, some 60 percent of all web traffic comes from mobile devices. Google has also said approximately 50 percent of searches are now performed using a mobile device of some sort. In today’s increasingly mobile-driven world, the 900 lb. search gorilla in the room wants to make sure that websites will look good, load quickly, and perform properly on non-desktop devices, especially given the sheer volume and value of ad revenues these days. This algorithm change is part of its effort to make sure that they do.

So, what can you do to ensure that your website doesn’t slide to the bottom of Google’s search results? Here are a few recommendations to get you started:

Google offers friendly advice for making your site mobile-friendly

• Take advantage of Google’s “Mobile-Friendly Test” to see whether your website meets the new requirements. You may find that your site has already been deemed mobile-friendly.
• If your site doesn’t pass, make sure you pay close attention to why it didn’t – Google gives you its reasoning right on the test page as soon as its analysis is complete. There’s even a “Make this page mobile-friendly” wizard that will give you helpful tips for optimizing your site.
• Evaluate your site closely…and be brutally honest about its quality. Are you using responsive design? Do you have a robots.txt file that’s preventing Google’s web crawlers from crawling and indexing your site? How fast do your pages load? Do your pages look attractive on a mobile device (for example, do all of the images load properly)? All of these things will play into whether your site meets the mobile-friendly threshold.
• If you find that you have some work to do, meet with your web team to hash out a plan to migrate to a more mobile-friendly site. Remember, you’ll have some time before Google’s algorithm fully takes effect, so plan a careful, effective strategy that allows a smooth transition. Be sure that you and your team avail yourselves of Google’s wealth of resources, like its Webmaster’s Mobile Guide.
• Once you’ve got your mobile-friendly site completed (and it has passed Google’s test), make sure you submit your sitemap via Google Webmaster Tools.

As you can see, Mobilegeddon, the Googpocalypse, or whatever you want to call it, is truly not end of the world as we know it, it’s merely a rethinking of it. Yes, you’ll need to be proactive but with a little time, effort, and good planning, you site will once again be flying high in Google’s search results. Good luck!

Tweet.Me – Byte-sized bits for your tweeting pleasure:

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The Google Hangout, it sounds so casual, so relaxed, we’re just hangin’ out, right? Going into it, you’re thinking about whether the technology will cooperate and getting your points across but otherwise maybe you just throw on a polo shirt with the company logo and grab a seat in front of the laptop…with the camera lens staring up into your nostrils and some proprietary company information on the white board behind you.

No lie, these things have been seen or heard in Google Hangouts intended for professional viewing: an unmade hotel bed, booze bottles, cleavage, kids, kids’ drawings, t-shirts with slogans (“No, I will not fix your computer”), barking dogs…and then there are the more run-of-the-mill distractions – office background chatter and laughter, ringing cell phones, dinging e-mail, meeting and appointment alerts, co-workers sticking their heads in or worse, staring through the glass in the office door like stalkers.

The Next Podium You Step Up To May Be Your Computer Screen
If your Hangout is for public consumption, and it is increasingly more likely that is the case, your seat at your laptop is, essentially, a podium or a seat on a dais. What’s more, chances are the Hangout is being recorded for all posterity.

Taking all of the above into consideration, there are several ways in which you can not only keep from being “that guy” or gal but you can kick it up a notch so your showing tells viewers that you’ve got it all going on. Yes, all of it.

• Think of yourself and your surrounds as being a TV station from which you will be broadcast and make your showing engaging and professional.

• You don’t have to get out your “weddings and funerals” suit and be completely buttoned up for a Google Hangout, but wearing something that buttons up (and buttoning it up) is a good start.

The camera you look into should be arranged so you are appearing to look at and engage the viewer. You can achieve this in two ways:

• The simplest and most difficult thing to do is look into that little camera dot when you are speaking. This might feel awkward but doing so will make you appear to be speaking to the viewers. If you look at your screen or down at notes, it can come across as impersonal, disinterested, or heaven forbid, like you’re asleep.

• Raise your laptop so you look straight into the camera. Most of us look down into our laptops but being shot by the camera from below is an unflattering angle for most. Go low-tech and use books – there is still a use for them!

The Sound and the Fury

• Turn off all audible alarms or notifications for mobile phones, computers, pads and tablets, and other devices so they’re not heard during the broadcast.
• Do go so far as hanging a “do not disturb” sign outside the closed door in case the closed door by itself is not enough of a message that you are busy and shouldn’t be disturbed about the latest hilarious YouTube video.
• If your office is a hub with people walking in and out frequently, reserve a small conference room and refer back to the last point.

Look out Behind You!

• Be aware of your background wherever you are.
• If you’re in a hotel, working at the desk, there is a good chance the bed is in the background. Situate yourself as best as you can to be framed by a neutral (or at least tidy) background.
• Back at the office, the background could be used to promote your company or your company’s message. Perhaps signage from a trade show or other company display could be behind you.
• If you work from home or your office is a constant display of proprietary information, consider investing in a plain folding screen you can pop open whenever a Hangout, Skype call, or other video opportunity presents itself.

Show & Tell

• Think about the Hangout topic and what your company does. Without making it a commercial, is there any thing, physical item or component or model that you could hold up and show the audience to help illustrate your points? It’s a great way to be more than another talking head and stand out from the other people that may just be hangin’ out, you rock star.

Any Google Hangout tips of your own that you’d like to share? Please share them in the comment section below.